Object holder for a direct-to-object printer

ABSTRACT

What is disclosed is an object holder for retaining an object in a direct-to-object print system and a direct-to-object print system configured to use various embodiments of the object holder of the present invention. In one embodiment, the object holder comprises a shuttle mount configured to slideably traverse a support member positioned parallel to a plane formed by the printhead. At least one collapsible membrane is attached to the shuttle mount. The membrane forms an airtight sack filled with granules. The membrane collapses at least partially around an object when a volume of air is withdrawn from the membrane by a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump withdrawing a volume of air from the membrane causes the membrane to collapse and tightly pack the granules inside the membrane. The vacuum-packed granules cause the membrane to conform to the shape of the object thereby securing the object to the shuttle mount.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is directed to a printing system for depositing ink directly on to a surface of an object and, more particular, to a device which securely retains an object in the direct-to-object print system while the object is being printed on.

BACKGROUND

Printers known in the document reproduction arts apply a marking material, such as ink or toner, onto a sheet of paper. To print something on an object that has a non-negligible depth such as a coffee cup, bottle, and the like, typically a label is printed and the printed label is applied to the surface of the object. However, in some manufacturing and production environments, it is desirable to print directly on the object itself but this poses a diverse set of hurdles which must be overcome before such specialized direct-to-object print systems become more widely accepted in commerce. One of these hurdles is how to secure the object in such a specialized printer while the object is being printed. Such direct-to-object print systems have a component often referred to as an object holder. The present invention is specifically directed to an object holder for use in a direct-to-object print system designed to print directly on a surface of an object.

BRIEF SUMMARY

What is disclosed is an object holder for retaining an object in a direct-to-object print system. In one embodiment, the object holder generally comprises a shuttle mount configured to slideably traverse a support member positioned parallel to a plane formed by the printhead. At least one collapsible membrane is attached to the shuttle mount. The membrane forms an airtight sack filled with granules. The membrane collapses at least partially around an object when a volume of air is withdrawn from the membrane by a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump withdrawing a volume of air from the membrane causes the membrane to collapse and tightly pack the granules inside the membrane. The vacuum-packed granules cause the membrane to conform to the shape of the object thereby securing the object to the shuttle mount.

What is also disclosed is a direct-to-object print system configured to use various embodiments of the object holder of the present invention. In one embodiment, the direct-to-object print system incorporates at least one printhead configured to eject marking material such as ink. An object holder configured to slideably traverse a support member positioned to be parallel to a plane formed by the printhead. An actuator that operatively causes the object holder to move the object along the support member past the printhead. A controller which causes the printhead to eject marking material on to the object held by the object holder as the object moves past the printhead.

Features and advantages of the above-described apparatus and direct-to-object print system will become readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the subject matter disclosed herein will be made apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one example embodiment of the direct-to-object print system disclosed herein;

FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of the present object holder for retaining an object in a direct-to-object print system;

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the present object holder wherein the shuttle mount has a plurality of sides to form a retention container;

FIG. 4A shows a front view of the object holder of FIG. 2 wherein the shuttle mount has two sidewalls which help contain a bottle on the collapsible membrane;

FIG. 4B shows a bottom view of the object holder of FIG. 4A wherein a vacuum has been drawn on the membrane thereby causing the membrane to collapse at least partially around the bottle between the two sidewalls to help secure the bottle to the shuttle mount;

FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the direct-to-object print system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows another alternative embodiment of the direct-to-object print system of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 show one embodiment of the present direct-to-object print system housed in a cabinet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

What is disclosed is an object holder for securely retaining an object in a direct-to-object print system, and a direct-to-object print system configured to operatively use various embodiments of the object holder of the present invention.

Non-Limiting Definitions

An “object”, has at least one surface thereof to be printed with ink. Example objects are sports equipment and paraphernalia, golf clubs and balls, commemorative gifts, coffee cups, to name a few.

A “direct-to-object print system”, or simply “print system” is a printer designed to print on a surface of an object. The direct-to-object print system of FIG. 1 incorporates at least the following functional components: at least one printhead, a support member, an actuator, a controller, and an object holder.

A “printhead” or “print head” is an element (such as an inkjet) which emits or ejects a droplet of marking material such as ink on to a surface of an object thereby making a mark on that object. In one embodiment, the direct-to-object print system has a plurality of monochrome printheads and a UV cure lamp. The print zone is a width of a single M-series printhead (˜4 inches). Each printhead is fluidly connected to a supply of marking material (not shown). Some or all of the printheads may be connected to the same supply. Each printhead can be connected to its own supply so each printhead ejects a different marking material. A 10×1 array of printheads is shown at 104 of FIG. 1.

A “support member”, at 106 of FIG. 1, is positioned to be parallel to a plane formed by the printheads and is oriented so that one end of the support member is at a higher gravitational potential than the other end of the support member. The vertical configuration of the printheads and the support member enables the present direct-to-object print system to have a smaller footprint than a system configured with a horizontal orientation of the printheads and support member. In an alternative embodiment, a horizontal configuration orients the printheads such that the object holder moves an object past the horizontally arranged printheads.

An “actuator”, at 110 of FIG. 1, is an electro-mechanical device that causes the object holder to slideably traverse the support member. In one embodiment, a controller causes the actuator to move an object holder at speeds that attenuate the air turbulence in a gap between the printhead and the surface of the object being printed.

An “object holder” physically restrains an object while the object holder is moving along the support member so that the object can pass the printhead. The object holder generally comprises a shuttle mount 112 configured to slideably traverse the support member and at least one collapsible membrane 103 attached to the shuttle mount. The membrane forms an airtight sack filled with granules. The membrane collapses at least partially around an object when a volume of air is withdrawn from the membrane by a vacuum pump connected to the membrane. The vacuum pump withdrawing a volume of air from the membrane causes the membrane to collapse. The vacuum-packed granules inside the collapsed membrane conform to the shape of a side of the object thereby securing the object to the attached shuttle mount.

A “membrane”, as used herein, refers to a collapsible airtight bag or sack which has at least one side either fixed securely to the shuttle mount or is releaseably attached to the shuttle mount using, for example, a Velcro material. An outer surface of the membrane has a coefficient of static friction at least 0.2 or greater to help the grip a surface of the object being retained. The membrane can be of a rubberized material. The membrane is preferably made of a puncture-resistant or puncture proof material with relatively high elasticity. The membrane is filled with granules.

A “granule” is a relatively small grain or particle. Example granules are coffee grounds, sand, rice, pellets, beads, knucklebones (also called “jacks”), or an ester-based polyurethane foam packing material. A size of the granules is typically between 2-5 mm but may be larger or smaller depending on the implementation. Not all the granules have to be the same size. The granules may be multi-faceted. Multi-faceted granules assist in retaining an object to the shuttle mount when they are vacuum-packed tightly together.

A “vacuum pump”, at 113 of FIG. 1, as are generally understood, is connected to the collapsible membrane 103 through a vacuum hose 104. The vacuum hose can be a rigid hose or a soft flexible hose. When a volume of air is withdrawn from the membrane, the membrane partially collapses around the object thereby causing the vacuum-packed granules to conform to a shape of the object to be printed. In one embodiment, a relief valve 105 is utilized to equalize the air pressure inside the membrane so that the object can be released from the object holder. The vacuum pump 113 and valve 105 may be operated by a controller.

A “controller”, at 114 of FIG. 1, is a processor or ASIC which controls various components of the present direct-to-object print system. The controller is configured to retrieve machine readable program instructions from memory 116 which, when executed, configure the controller to signal or otherwise operate the actuator 110 to move the object holder past the printheads. When other retrieved instructions are executed, the controller is configured to signal, or otherwise operate the printheads to start/stop ejecting marking material at a precise time and at a desired location on a surface of the object retained by the object holder. The controller may be further configured to operate the various printheads such that individual printheads eject different size droplets of marking material. The controller may be configured to communicate with a user interface.

A “user interface”, at 118 of FIG. 1, generally comprises a display 120 such as a touchscreen, monitor, or LCD device for presenting visual information to a user, an annunciator 122 which emits an audible sound, and an input device 124 such as a keypad for receiving a user input or selection. The controller can be configured to operate the user interface to notify an operator of a failure. The controller monitors the system to detect the configuration of the printheads in the system and the inks being supplied to the printheads. If the inks or the printhead configuration is unable to print the objects accurately and appropriately then a message is presented to the user on the display of the user interface that, for example, inks need to be changed or that the printheads needs to be reconfigured. The controller can be configured to use the annunciator of the user interface to inform the operator of a system status and to attract attention to fault conditions and displayed messages. The user interface may further include a warning light.

An “identification tag”, at 126 of FIG. 1, is a machine-readable indicia that is attached to the object holder. The identification tag embodies an identifier that is readable or otherwise receivable by an input device such as sensor 128. The identifier contains information about the object being printed and/or the location of the object as it traverses the support member. The received identifier is, in turn, communicated to the controller. The identification tag can be, for example, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag with the input device being a RFID reader. The identification tag can also be a barcode with the input device being a barcode reader. In another embodiment, the identification tag comprises one or more protrusions, indentations, or combinations thereof in the object or object holder that can be detected or otherwise read by a biased arm which follows a surface of an area comprising the identification tag. In this embodiment, the biased arm is a cam follower that converts the detected protrusions, indentations, and the like position of the mechanical indicia comprising the identification tag into electrical signals which, in turn, are communicated to the controller for processing. In other embodiments, the identification tag comprises optical or electromagnetic indicia. The controller compares the identifier received from the input device to various identifiers stored in memory 116. The controller can disable operation of the actuator and/or the operation of the printheads in response to the received identifier failing to correspond to an identifier stored in the memory. The controller can also be configured to use the user interface to inform the operator of processing that needs to be performed. For example, an identification tag may indicate that an object in the object holder requires special treatment such as pre-coating prior to printing or post-coating after the object is printed. A location of the identification tag or a failure to detect an identification tag may indicate to the controller that the object held by the object holder is misaligned, has come loose, or is absent altogether. The controller, in these examples, would communicate a message to the display 120 regarding the detected condition(s).

A “sensor”, at 128 of FIG. 1, is a device such as a digital camera or other imaging device positioned to generate image data by imaging, for example, a sheet of printed media with a test pattern. The controller is configured to receive the image data from the sensor and analyze the image data to identify printhead alignment, image quality, and other maintenance issues such as inoperative ejectors, low ink supply, or poor ink quality. The controller uses the user interface to notify the operation such that the operator is able to understand the reason why the controller disabled of the direct-to-object print system.

Embodiments of Object Holders

Reference is now being made to FIG. 2 which shows one embodiment of the present object holder for securely retaining an object while it is being printed in a direct-to-object print system. The object holder comprises, in part, a shuttle mount 112 (shown as a rectangular plate) configured to slideably traverse the support member 106. A collapsible membrane 103 is attached to the shuttle mount by a plurality of attachments 200. Depending on the implementation, the attachments may either fix the membrane securely to the shuttle mount or releaseably attach the membrane to the shuttle mount. The attachments 200 can be, in one embodiment, Velcro strips attached to the back of the membrane and to the surface of the shuttle mount so that the membrane can be removed from the shuttle mount and replaced with other membrane(s) of a different sizes or shapes depending on the object to be retained in the object holder. Further, the membrane 103 may comprise a plurality of membranes of different sizes and shapes, each connected to the vacuum hose 104 through relief value 105 such that, when a vacuum is drawn in the plurality of membranes, the membranes collectively collapse to secure the object to the shuttle mount.

Reference is now being made to FIG. 3 which shows an embodiment of the shuttle mount of the present object holder wherein the shuttle mount 112 has a plurality of sides to form a box 300 which extends around one or more sides of the membrane. The shuttle mount may have as many sides as are needed or as are desired. A size of any of the sides of a shuttle mount can vary in height and shape to help retain the membrane(s) and the variously-shaped object(s) retained thereby.

Reference is now being made to FIG. 4A which shows a front view of the object holder of FIG. 2 wherein the shuttle mount 112 has two sidewalls 401, 402. The two sidewalls help contain the object, shown as a bottle 400, on the collapsible membrane 103. FIG. 4B shows a bottom view of the object holder of FIG. 4A wherein a vacuum has been drawn on the membrane 103 by the pump 11 of FIG. 1. The negative air pressure inside the membrane causes the membrane to collapse at least partially around the bottle 400 thereby help securing the bottle between the two sidewalls on the shuttle mount.

It should be appreciated that the embodiments shown are for explanatory purposes and should not be viewed as limiting the scope of the appended claims strictly to those embodiments. Other embodiments include different configurations of shuttle mounts as well as other shaped membranes of varying sizes may be utilized as well as different ways of attaching the membrane(s) to the shuttle mount. Such embodiments are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Embodiments of Direct-to-Object Print Systems

What is also disclosed is a direct-to-object print system configured to use various embodiments of the object holder of the present invention.

Reference is now being made to FIG. 5 which illustrates an alternative embodiment to the direct-to-object print system of FIG. 1 which uses a belt to move the object holder past the printheads. The support member comprises a pair of support members 506A and 506B about which the shuttle mount 112 is slideably attached. A pair of fixedly positioned pulleys 508A and 508B and a belt 510 form an endless belt entrained about the pair of pulleys, and a rotatable pulley 512 engages the endless belt to enable the third pulley to rotate in response to the movement of the endless belt moving about the pair of pulleys to move the object holder disclosed herein. The actuator 516 operatively rotates the drive pulley to move the endless belt about the pulleys. The controller 114 is configured to operate the actuator. Parts comprising the object holder of FIG. 1 have been omitted to show underlying components.

Reference is now being made to FIG. 6 which illustrates yet another embodiment of the direct-to-object print system of FIG. 1. One end of a belt 602 is operatively connected to a take-up reel 604 that is operatively connected to the actuator 516. The other end of the belt is positionally fixed at 606. The belt also engages a rotatable pulley 512 attached to the object holder. The support member comprises a pair of support members 506A and 506B about which the shuttle mount 112 is slideably attached. The actuator rotates the take-up reel to wind a portion of the length of the belt about the take-up reel to cause the object holder to move past the printheads. The actuator unwinds the belt from the take-up reel. The controller 114 is configured to operate the actuator. Parts comprising the object holder of FIG. 1 have been omitted to show underlying components.

Reference is now being made to FIG. 7 which shows an embodiment of the present direct-to-object print system 700 housed in a cabinet 702. The object holder is omitted.

The direct-to-object print system disclosed herein can be placed in communication with a workstation, as are generally understood in the computing arts. Such a workstation has a computer case which houses various components such as a motherboard with a processor and memory, a network card, a video card, a hard drive capable of reading/writing to machine readable media such as a floppy disk, optical disk, CD-ROM, DVD, magnetic tape, and the like, and other software and hardware needed to perform the functionality of a computer workstation. The workstation further includes a display device, such as a CRT, LCD, or touchscreen device, for displaying information, images, classifications, computed values, extracted vessels, patient medical information, results, interim values, and the like. A user can view any of that information and make a selection from menu options displayed thereon. The workstation has an operating system and other specialized software configured to display alphanumeric values, menus, scroll bars, dials, slideable bars, pull-down options, selectable buttons, and the like, for entering, selecting, modifying, and accepting information needed for processing in accordance with the teachings hereof. The workstation can display images and information about the operations of the present direct-to-object print system. A user or technician can use a user interface of the workstation to set parameters, view/adjust/delete values, and adjust various aspects of various operational components of the present direct-to-object print system, as needed or desired, depending on the implementation. These selections or inputs may be stored to a storage device. Settings can be retrieved from the storage device. The workstation can be a laptop, mainframe, or a special purpose computer such as an ASIC, circuit, or the like.

Any of the components of the workstation may be placed in communication with any of the modules and processing units of the direct-to-object print system and any of the operational components of the present direct-to-object print system can be placed in communication with storage devices and computer readable media and may store/retrieve therefrom data, variables, records, parameters, functions, and/or machine readable/executable program instructions, as needed to perform their intended functions. The various components of the present direct-to-object print system may be placed in communication with one or more remote devices over network via a wired or wireless protocol. It should be appreciated that some or all of the functionality performed by any of the components of the direct-to-object print system can be controlled, in whole or in part, by the workstation.

The teachings hereof can be implemented in hardware or software using any known or later developed systems, structures, devices, and/or software by those skilled in the applicable art without undue experimentation from the functional description provided herein with a general knowledge of the relevant arts. One or more aspects of the systems disclosed herein may be incorporated in an article of manufacture which may be shipped, sold, leased, or otherwise provided separately either alone or as part of a product suite or a service. The above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into other different systems or applications.

Presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements may become apparent and/or subsequently made by those skilled in this art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An object holder for retaining an object in a direct-to-object print system, the object holder comprising: a shuttle mount configured to slideably traverse a support member positioned parallel to a plane formed by at least one printhead of a direct-to-object print system; at least one collapsible membrane attached to the shuttle mount, the membrane forming an airtight sack filled with granules, the membrane collapses at least partially around an object when a volume of air is withdrawn from the membrane; and a pump connected to the membrane, the pump withdrawing a volume of air from the membrane causes the membrane to collapse, the vacuum-packed granules inside the collapsed membrane conform to a shape of the object thereby securing the object to the shuttle mount.
 2. The object holder of claim 1, wherein the granules are any of: coffee grounds, sand, rice, pellets, beads, jacks, and a polyurethane-based foam packing material.
 3. The object holder of claim 1, wherein the membrane is one of: fixedly attached to the shuttle mount, and releaseably attached to the shuttle mount.
 4. The object holder of claim 1, wherein an outside surface of the membrane has a coefficient of static friction at least 0.2.
 5. The object holder of claim 1, wherein the shuttle mount has at least two sidewalls.
 6. The object holder of claim 1, further a valve for equalizing the air pressure inside the membrane.
 7. A direct-to-object print system for printing on a surface of an object, the direct-to-object print system comprising: at least one printhead configured to eject marking material on to a surface of an object; a support member positioned parallel to a plane formed by the printhead; an object holder comprising: a shuttle mount configured to slideably traverse the support member; at least one collapsible membrane attached to the shuttle mount, the membrane forming an airtight sack filled with granules, the membrane collapses at least partially around an object when a volume of air is withdrawn from the membrane; and a pump connected to the membrane, the pump withdrawing a volume of air from the membrane causes the membrane to collapse, the vacuum-packed granules inside the collapsed membrane conform to a shape of the object thereby securing the object to the shuttle mount; and a controller configured to cause the printhead to eject marking material onto the object held by the object holder as the object passes the printhead.
 8. The direct-to-object print system of claim 7, further comprising an actuator for operatively causing the object holder to slideably traverse the support member.
 9. The direct-to-object print system of claim 8, further comprising a belt that contacts pulleys, one of the pulleys being operatively connected to the actuator which causes the pulley to move the belt about the pulleys and move the object holder past the printhead.
 10. The direct-to-object print system of claim 9, wherein the belt is entrained about the pulleys to form an endless belt, further comprising an additional pulley that engages the endless belt to enable the additional pulley to rotate in response to a movement of the endless belt to move the object holder.
 11. The direct-to-object print system of claim 7, wherein the support member is oriented to enable one end of the support member to be at a higher gravitational potential than another end of the support member.
 12. The direct-to-object print system of claim 7, wherein the granules are any of: coffee grounds, sand, rice, pellets, beads, jacks, and a polyurethane-based foam packing material.
 13. The direct-to-object print system of claim 7, wherein the membrane is one of: fixedly attached to the shuttle mount, and releaseably attached to the shuttle mount.
 14. The direct-to-object print system of claim 7, wherein an outside surface of the membrane has a coefficient of static friction at least 0.2.
 15. The direct-to-object print system of claim 7, wherein the shuttle mount has at least two sidewalls.
 16. The direct-to-object print system of claim 7, further comprising a valve for equalizing the air pressure inside the membrane.
 17. The direct-to-object print system of claim 7, wherein the pump is operated by the controller.
 18. The direct-to-object print system of claim 7, further comprising an identification tag and an input device.
 19. The direct-to-object print system of claim 18, wherein the identification tag comprises any of: a RFID tag containing an identifier and the input device is a RFID reader, a barcode containing an identifier and the input device is a barcode reader, and at least one mechanical feature and the input device is a biased arm that follows the mechanical features and converts a position of the arm into an electrical signal comprising an identifier.
 20. The direct-to-object print system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to: receive the identifier from the input device; compare the identifier to at least one identifier stored in a memory; and disable the actuator in response to the identifier failing to correspond to any of the identifiers stored in memory.
 21. The direct-to-object print system of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to: receive the identifier from the input device; compare the identifier to identifiers stored in a memory; and disable operation of the printhead in response to the identifier failing to correspond to any of the identifiers stored in memory.
 22. The direct-to-object print system of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to operate a user interface.
 23. The direct-to-object print system of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configured to: detect a configuration of the printhead and ink supplied to the printhead; and communicate a message to the user interface, the message being any of: that ink needs to be changed, and that the printhead needs to be reconfigured.
 24. The direct-to-object print system of claim 22, wherein the user interface comprises: a display, a user input device, and an annunciator for emitting an audible sound.
 25. The direct-to-object print system of claim 8, further comprising a sensor positioned to generate image data from one of: the object holder, the object, and a sheet of printed media, the controller being configured to receive the image data from the sensor and analyze the image data to identify any of: printhead alignment, image quality, and inoperative ejectors. 